The Great Names or Royal Titulary is the formal set of five names and titles held by each pharaoh. These names fell in a traditional sequence and the names stressed the attributes of and strengths of a pharaoh.

The first three names stress the king's divinity and the prenomen was his official ruling name. The first two of "The Great Names" had their beginnings in the First Dynasty, two others were added shortly there after and the fourth royal name did not come into use until the Fourth Dynasty the fifth name is the birth name of the king.

A pharaoh received four of his names when he ascended the throne and every pharaoh had a unique group of names. The "Horus Name" is the oldest of the five great names and its use can be traced to the Old Kingdom. It was not written in a cartouche instead a "serekh" was used to house the Horus name.

The "serekh" is a rectangular enclosure similar to the cartouche. The "serekh" represented the royal residence beginnings view from the front and above at the same time.

On the upper part of the "serekh" a falcon perched, the falcon represented the God Horus protection over the royal palace and its owner the King of Egypt. In the Second Dynasty the "serekh" went through some changes, instead of a falcon a "Seth Beast" was placed on the upper portion.

The last king of this dynasty used both the falcon and the "Seth Beast" on his "serekh." The second name found in the royal titulary is called "The Nebety" also known as the "Two Ladies" for the two patron Goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt, Wadjet and Nekhebt. "The Nebety" is not written in an enclosure but accompanies the "Hours Name." It represents the duality of the two lands of Egypt. The third titulary name's origin is less known and the earliest examples are from the Fourth Dynasty. It is introduced by a falcon perched on the hieroglyph for gold, thus the name "Golden Horus Name." Gold was considered imperishable and valuable, combined with the falcon it stress the durability of the King of Egypt. The fourth name replaced the Horus Name in importance and became the most important of the royal titulary. The fourth name sometimes is referred to as the throne name of the king and is also called the Prenomen (Nesw-bit, He of the Sedge and the Bee).

This name is the first name that is enclosed in the protective cartouche. This is the name the king took upon his accession to the throne. This is the name used in all official records of the king and it was the name foreign rulers would use in correspondence with Egypt. The chosen Prenomen of the king reflected a religious statement. The fifth name is called the nomen (personal name or sa ra) was the second name the cartouche encircled. It is always introduced by Son of Ra (Daughter of Ra for female rulers)

This is the birth name that the Pharaoh was given as a child. The name would not be enclosed in a cartouche at birth but when the child became king. Since many birth names were family names and used by many different Pharaohs, modern scholars use numbers to clarify which king they are referring to.

The Ancient Egyptians did not use this process, they had no confusion on which king was meant since the Prenomen and Nomen would be used together. Many pharaohs continued to refer to themselves by their birth name but it appears some may have used the throne name. It is thought Thutmose III preferred his throne name Menkheperra.

All though every pharaoh had the full five "Great Names" they are rarely used together except for the coronation. The Horus was the most frequently used and it was followed by the Prenomen and then the Nomen. Examine the names of the following pharaohs and see if you can figure out the way the pharaohs used their Royal Titulary to set their agenda for their rule.

1. The Horus
2. The Two Ladies(Nebty, He of the two ladies)
3. Golden Falcon (Horus Nub)
4. The Prenomen (Nesw-bit, He of the Sedge and the Bee)
5. The Nomen (sa-ra, Son of Ra)




Hatshepsut's full Royal Titulary was 1. Horus Powerful of Kas, 2. Two Ladies Flourishing of Years, 3. Female Horus of Fine Gold, Divine of Diadems, 4. King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, 5. Daughter of Ra , Khenmet-Amen Hatshepsut.

Thutmose II Royal Titulary was 1. Horus: Bull of Mighty Strength 2. Two Ladies Name (or Nebti): Divine of Kingship 3. Golden Horus Name: Powerful of Manifestations 4. Throne Name (or Prenomen): Aakheperenra, ("Great is the Form of Ra") 5. Son of Ra: Thutmose Neferkhau("Beautiful of Appearances")or Nedjty-ra("Protector of Ra").

Tutankhamun's full Royal Titulary was 1. Strong bull, fitting of created forms, 2. Dynamic of laws, who clams the Two-Lands, who propitiates all the gods, 3. The one who brings together the cosmic order, who propitiates the gods, 4. King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebkheprure, 5. Son of Ra, Tutankhamun

Senwesret I 's full Royal Titulary was 1. Horus The Living One of Creations 2. Two Ladies Life of Births 3. Horus Gold Life of Births, 4. King of Upper and Lower Egypt Kheperkare, 5. Son of Ra Senwesret

Thutmose IV's full Royal Titulary was 1. Horus Mighty bull, perfect of glorious appearance; 2. Two Ladies Enduring of kingship like Atum; 3. Golden Horus Strong of arm, oppressor of the Nine Bows; 4. King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Menkheprure; 5. Son of Ra; Tuthmose


Ramesses II full Royal Titulary was 1. Horus Strong bull, loved by Maat 2. The two ladies, the protector of Egypt, he who strikes the foreign countries 3. The Golden Horus, powerful by his years of victory 4. The king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Usermaatre, 5. Son of Ra, Ramesses meri-Amon


The serekh of Pharaoh Khasekhemwy of the Second Dynasty, he choose to place himself under the protection of two powerful deities Horus and Set.


Serekh of Khasekhemwy
Combination
Horus & Set Style
Here are a few samples of Pharaohs' Cartouches, their Five Great Names are listed above, the Prenomen(throne name) is the left cartouche and the Nomen(birthname) the cartouche on the right.